Sunday, 31 May 2009

Erin joined The Clothes Show in celebrating its return to London (the show's been absent from London for 20 years). I have spotted Erin a few times at London Fashion Week but have never worked up the courage to ask if I could take her photograph....this time I took a deep breath, said a little prayer and scampered up to ask if she would mind if I took a quick snap. And she was absolutely lovely.... and extraordinarily beautiful, even after what must have been an achingly long day (plus a loooong day and night on Friday) at The Clothes Show. Thank you Erin :)

p.s. You can check out Erin's blog on Vogue.co.uk. She blogs about her fabulous globetrotting adventures-love the entry on her attendance at The Met Ball earlier this month. Could you imagine Erin, Maggie Rizzer and Karen Elson all rooming together when they started their careers?! OMG, the gorgeousness of it all! Check it out here.

Love this girl! She and her three equally fab teenage friends had travelled from Kent to London for the day to attend The Clothes Show. She was rockin' those little ankle socks, hat and very sweet cream lace dress....AND she wasn't adverse to a little twirling for my camera :) :)

p.s. Hee Hee! Can you tell I would love to work for Teen Vogue?!!! I adore shooting teenagers and tweens- so much fun :)

Love this navy and white striped dress- she manages to look summery, fun, fresh, breezy and effortlessly s*xy all at once.

Beautiful girl, and her mum was as gorgeous as well (um, duh, obviously where her genes came from!)....in hindsight I should have got a shot of them together. I love the ad campaigns that the French label, Comptoir des Cotonniers, produces which feature "real" mothers and daughters together in the label's chic clothes. The benefit of hindsight, huh?!

I've been looking for a photo to "black&white" for awhile but somehow none seemed to really work. I guess a lot of my street photos, because they are about personal style, rely on colour and "pop" to work and, while they are shot on busy city streets with (occasionally) a lot of distractions in the background, none seemed exactly right for conversion to monochrome. When I was shooting this girl, I knew I wanted to emphasise the shadows and light on her face, her shape and sensational short platinum hair. B&W was playing at the back of my mind.....

Etvoilà! I finally got my b&w photo!

And who is she? A talented fashion student who has just finished her MA at the London College of Fashion (some of her clothes were on the catwalk at The Clothes Show at ExCel). Her friend, ManjitDeu, who I photographed (2nd photo from top) at London Fashion Week earlier this year, actually won the Collection of the Year Award at the postgrad awards in January! And no, they didn't tell me this (too modest).....I secret-squirreled it out with a little stealthy googling :)

Keep these two on your fashion radar: I suspect they are going very fashionable places.

I spotted this make-up artist having a quick, verywell-deserved break outside ExCel just as the sun was going down. I loved her red, red lips and cute floral skirt. And of course I loved that "magic hour" light :)

Saturday, 30 May 2009

I had an amazing day yesterday shooting out at ExCel, Docklands where The Clothes Show is being held. I met some fabulous people (not only people I shot but some lovely people who were working there as well- waves to Marley, the gorgeous law student who was directing people to the buses), got a little sunburnt despite wearing 50+ sunscreen, a cap and enough clothes to ensure I was boiling hot all day, almost got eaten alive by hideous, hairy caterpillars (shudder): why were they so attracted to those grey pylons down by the water? The back of my dress has a weird stain which bears remarkable resemblance to squashed caterpillar- I feel itchy just thinking about it AND I got to shoot some photos with my friend, Mr Wayne Tippets of Street Style Aesthetic .

It's going to take me awhile to get through all the photos (plus the ones I still have from Paris) so grab a coffee, a magazine, a book, whatever and stick around for a whole lot of street stylin' from Paris, London and, um, wherever the Nikon and I shall go :)p.s. This photo is one I shot yesterday afternoon of the beautiful Karolina Parmionova, a model and biomedical student. This is just a little teaser-more shots of her to come :)

She was a fashion student from Germany (I think), studying in Paris. Her floral shorty-shorts caught my eye but oh my, her face....she was very beautiful and such a delight to photograph.p.s. normally I get people to remove their iPod when I take their photograph 'cos no matter how cool da music on da 'pod, da earphone cords look kinda messy. But I think her earphones sort of add to the photo....give a bit of context to the shot. Thoughts?

And the award for the sweetest and most stylish papa and fils goes to....Monsieur Dally Koudou and his very cute little boy! I spotted Monsieur Koudou and his son just as I was heading back to my hotel and had to scurry across the very busy rue Saint-Honoré to catch up with them. It turns out Monsieur Koudou is a bespoke tailor (probably not surprising given the impeccable cut and colour of his blazer) and works under the label People with Attitude, with a showroom on the rue Saint Honoré. You can read an interview with Monsieur Koudou (in French) here.

Wednesday, 27 May 2009

Mr Guerre aka the very suave, very smooth, and very stylish operator of Swagger 360 blogspot.If you think a man dressed as fine as this would have a fabulous blog....you would be CORRECT! A Scooby Snack for you :) :) I really like the way Mr Guerre combines his "street swag" photos with his thoughts on style, dressing, food, wine and other useful things such as "How to Polish a Shoe Correctly", the modern day gentleman's essentials, and the (gulp) "Sins a Person with Swagger will Never Commit" (I get very nervous when I read "do not" lists as I always manage to be a committer of at least a few of them ;-)

Saunter (or should I saw swagger?) on over and check out Swagger360 here.

p.s. It never ceases to amaze me the interesting, wonderful people I get to meet on the streets- I can't think of a better way to develop my photography skills and meet the most fascinatingpeople from all over the world at the same time...

Did I tell you how much I LOVE Paris?!! And the light, oh the light in Paris at this time of year is just so beautiful- I wish I had of had more time to shoot in it. I kept playing the Charles Aznavour song J'aime Paris au Mois de Mai in my head as I was strolling about....perhaps May is my new favourite time to visit: although I doubt there is ever a bad time to visit Paris :)

And I just adore this girl's 1920's Flapper-style headband which she has given a thoroughly modern twist by teaming it with those chunky chains and long, relaxed vest....and a black Hermès Birkin (just out of shot!)

p.s. I felt very Top Gun taking this shot-I had a photographer/scribe team from a magazine in Tokyo on my six and things were getting a little bit crazy! Where was my wingman when I needed him? Off having drinks and steak tartare with a friend from Brisbane at Brasserie Lipp, that's where!

Tuesday, 26 May 2009

Damn Skippy, Paris was HOT on Friday! I was lathered in thick, pasty 50+ sunscreen (which went somewhat to temper my fake tanning application disaster) and long sleeves but probably should have worn a hat as well to protect my lily-white Australian skin from the evils of exposure to UVA's, UVB's and (possibly) UVC's.

It was also super packed with people-I have never seen the Marais as busy as it was on Friday. I hadn't realised that it was a long-weekend in the US as well as in the UK. While it was fantastic for meeting people from around the world, it was a challenge to find a "clear" space to shoot in, once I found someone I wanted to photograph. The two photos below of the "red door" were the only ones of this gorgeous girl ( from Canada) which didn't have someone else streaking across the background.

I adore the way she has teamed her neutral outfit with THAT red lipstick. Parfait!

The more I visit Paris, the more I fall in love with this exquisite city. It just keeps getting better and better....while my grasp of the French language seems to be on the decline! I suspect that there is only one way to fix that: we must move to Paris. Urgently. And we must live in the Marais. Close to the most divine falafel on the planet, within easy Vélib' cycling distance of the Canal Saint-Martin, a short skip in heels* to the Barbara Bui, Vanessa Bruno and Manoush boutiques (and Australian Martin Grant's showroom which is tucked away somewhere, impossible for a non-map reader like me to find), a mere stumble away from my favourite coffee haunt in Paris: Au Petit Fer à Cheval, an easy Metro ride on the "yellow line" to the Tuileries (and Angelina's, Ladurée, Colette, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Lanvin), a quick taxi ride to Le Bistrot Paul Bert, Willi's Wine Bar and the open-air food market on the Ave. du Président-Wilson in the 16th Arr....and and and!

I suspect my pleas of a move to Paris will go unheaded but it IS nice to dream, non?

I only had a day plus a few hours in Paris (before we took the train to Avignon) so I didn't get as many photos as I would have liked (which I will post over the next couple of weeks, interspersed with photos from the streets of London) but I guess they are a little like an amuse-bouche: a teensy taster to excite, tease and tempt before I head back in a month's time for a little longer :)

And these fabulous pants? They were from Martine Sitbon's label, Rue due Mail. I love the way she has teamed them with a simple tank, sheer cardi, Guy Laroche yellow bangle and especially the little black and white checked bra. So effortlessly French, chic, stylish, sexy, understated....Ahhh, but she is not French! She and her lovely boyfriend were from Poland although they now live in Paris. Hmmmm it gives me hope- maybe if we could move to Paris some of the Parisian style would immediately rub off onto me....like how to walk in heels on cobbled streets without breaking a heel, an ankle....

A few weeks ago, I was pootling around Notting Hill with my camera and wandered past the Diane von Furstenberg store on Ledbury Road. In the window was a beautiful girl (Clara) sketching a stunning woman (Antonella) in the DVF dress she had just purchased. Never being one to pass up a photographic opportunity, I whizzed in and asked the manager if I could take a few photos of Clara while she worked. Thankfully he agreed :)

Clara Gomez is an amazingly talented illustrator - her work is utterly exquisite as you can see from her illustrations below. Clara grew up in Spain and has been drawing ever since she can remember. She studied fine art in Salamanca, Spain and then followed up with fashion illustration at Central Saint Martins in London. She does "live" illustrations at fashion parties and events and also takes private commissions. From chatting to Clara and exchanging emails, I know she puts her heart and soul into her work and takes so much pleasure from drawing people....making them look and feel beautiful, sharing her gift: "Drawing people during events is always an exhilarating experience, being able to share what you love doing most and see people enjoying it is such an amazing feeling."

Clara's illustrations are the kind I would draw if I could draw....in the same way I would write as Arundhati Roy does in The God of Small Things if I could write.

Antonella (who, coincidentally, was an Aussie!):

A sample of Clara's illustrations from the DVF event:

Clara's materials:

If you want to get in touch with Clara, just send me an email as she is currently in the process of setting up her website...

Thursday, 21 May 2009

Title has nothing to do with thisamazing couple- just a hint (alrighty so granted it isn't a very subtle hint!) as to where I may be off to tomorrow morning at some ridiculously early hour :) Oh, and I am listening to Ladyhawke on the iPod at the moment.

I wanted to do a collage of this couple's photos rather than upload three separate photos but I couldn't work out how to do it in blogger (all that coding makes me woozy) so you got three separate photos!

I know, I know- two very similar photos of the gorgeous Vikki but I am in an indecisive mood and couldn't decide which one I liked better. So you have both of them :)

I am suppose to be packing for a little trip tomorrow (clue to destination in next post!) but instead am dithering about uploading pics, responding to emails, reading the London Lite, loading the dishwasher and, well, generally doing anything except packing. Only one thing worse than packing for me, and that is unpacking.

Today I caught up for coffee with my fellow street style blogger, Mr Wayne Tippets of Street Style Aesthetic. Wayne's photos are, well..... just check out his site and you'll know why I was reluctant to give you the link! I might have no blog readers left after you check out his photos :) However Wayne is such a lovely guy with a cheeky sense of humour and a load of wonderful stories to tell that I couldn't resist sharing.

I have been quietly stalking Wayne's blog since LFW earlier this year when we met as I was chatting to the talented Craig Arend of Altamira NYC. I was having a little whine (who, me?!) about the winter light in London and Wayne gently reminded me that it is all about harnessing, understanding and working with the light rather than having a whinge about it :)

Um, so check out Wayne's site (and Craig's) but remember to pleeeeeaase come back and visit me!

I have no idea what kind of "wash" these jeans are (anyone help me out here?). All I know is that this model from Holland got them in Thailand and they (and she*) are HOT HOT HOT. Sprayed on, super skinny and distressed for maximum impact.

p.s. I got to look at her "book" (she is a model with NEXT) and, oh my, it was beautiful. I predict big things for her in the future....

Immediately I saw this top, it reminded me of Matthew Williamson's designs...something about the colours (its that fab candy pink he seems to use a lot-anyone know if it is a patented Pantone colour? kind of like the Selfridges Pantone 109 yellow?), the luxe beading, the boho loose fit...So where is the top from? Topshop! yay!I like the way she's teamed it with the fringed bag and stack of bangles.

Note: probably best not to wear stacks of bangles if you are working in an office and typing a lot....unless you really hate your co-workers or don't mind a few tetchy comments over morning jammie dodgers and cups of tea :)

Beautiful Sacha (above) was workin' the grey-on-grey fitted look (how about that magenta studded bag?! I saw a girl at LFW with a pair of ah-mazing* Christian Louboutin "Ariella" magenta and gold studded boots which looked similar to this bag) while the gorgeous girl below was fab in an oversized 3.1 Phillip Lim jacket. Even though she was teeny tiny slim, I don't think the jacket overwhelmed her frame. She had teemed it with a bright red pair of those rubber Vivienne WestwoodAnglomania 3 strap flats....

*note that I did not use the word fierce! I used the other most overused word in the fashion world right now ;-)

Tuesday, 19 May 2009

This beautiful girl was wearing vintage and the quirky thing was, she was carrying the book by Christa Weil called "Its Vintage Darling! How to be a Clothes Connoisseur" :)

And I love this white tuxedo-ish jacket: it sets off her golden tan and blonde hair perfectly. And do you note the fabulous men's style watch (most people seem to just rely on their mobile phones these days instead of wearing a watch.... I am one of them!) And what looks very much like a Cartier Love bracelet?

And then these completely wonderful monochrome Louboutin heels...there is nothing sexier (or more exciting for a style stalker with camera) than seeing a flash of red on the heel when a woman walks...there were quite a few workman who also seemed quite taken by the Christian Louboutin's when she walked ;-)

Remember the brilliant movie "Office Space" staring Jennifer Aniston and Ron Livingston? (which incidentally is now 10 years old- it was released in 1999!). Whenever I see someone wearing badges (or "buttons" as I think they are called in America), I always think of the scene where Jennifer's character is berated by the manager of the restaurant for wearing only the bare minimum "15 pieces of flair" :)I like badges- I collect them. Well, when I say "collect" what I mean is that I am a terrible hoarder and hate throwing things out - especially if they remind me of a time, place, or someone or something special in my life. I still have my badges from school, a little red badge from the Met in NYC (circa 2005), a black badge I got from Copenhagen last year which says "Vaelg en Omvej" (no idea what this means- I pray it isn't something terribly naughty or offensive!), some Clarice Bean badges (probably meant for someone 25 years younger than me- but I like them), and a little snowman badge a friend gave me the Christmas before last. Trouble is, I never actually wear my badges: they just sit on the shelf garnering dust and "helpful" comments from my husband as to their necessity in our already cluttered apartment. Perhaps I should take inspiration from the girl above who looked great in her leather jacket with "added flair" (love those neon pink heels)and start wearing them. Perhaps on a Summer hat?....although obviously one needs to proceed with caution to avoid looking like an overgrown Girl Guide on the way back from Jamboree.

Or from this guy who was wearing just one lonely piece of flair:Being curious, I also love reading people's badges as well.....

Hers: I *heart* Hackney, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, AC/DC, Get RudeHis: AT (anyone know what this means?)